Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In, September 2009

I attended the Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In this weekend. There were a few scooters mixed in the crowd, as usual. The most classic I found was this Lambretta, followed by his Vespa friend in the background.

I stood back from my new white Vespa and listened to comments of people of they walked by, as an experiment. I was curious how scooters are percieved by the crowd there. Comments ranged the spectrum. A petite female sport bike rider said to her two male friends, "I wouldn't be caught dead on scooter. It is cute, though..." A burly biker dude told his buddy, "I'm tellin' you, that's the shit. Nice!"

The Wild Hogs Scooter Club showed up with a representative party. The Wild Hogs started in Philly, and has expanded by affilating other clubs, including one in York. The members that made it to Ephrata were riding Asian maxi-scooters by Suzuki, Sym and Kymco.

The most interesting of them was a triked-out Kymco Grandvista 250. This kit adds two out-rigger wheels, without removing the rear drive wheel (technically making for 4 wheels). It looked strangely natural, like it was supposed to be that way. It had a spaceship feel to it. You normally see these kits on bigger bikes. But as a mid-size, it looked fun.

Kymco 2009

It looks to me that the scooter brand with the best line-up for 2009 is Kymco. I’d love to say that it was the classic Vespas, or one of the Japanese big 3 (or 4 if Kawasaki even imported one scooter) with their established reputations for reliability. Or even the American-based Genuine. But this Taiwanese company has you covered from 50cc to 500cc, retro to modern and sporty, even 2 or 4 stroke. Nobody else has that kind of variety. And everything in their line has a disc brake on the front, which is nice to get on a small scooter.

At the beginning of the line is the Sento 50 which is comparable to the Honda Metro. If you like the Yamaha Zuma, then take a look at the Agility, which comes in 50 or 125cc. Want something slightly sportier? Check out the Super 8 in 50 or 150cc.

The meat of their line is the People. It comes in 50 and 150cc versions, and then there are the S versions (with higher tech) in 50, 125, 200, and 250cc. All have 16” wheels, which would really smooth out the ride. All but the S 250 have big, flat floorboards. Only Aprilla has a comparable model right now, with its Scarabeo, but this is what the new Honda might look like.

In the maxi-scoot class, Kymco has the Grandvista 250 and the Xciting in 250 and 500cc versions. These are of the modern “origami” style like the Suzuki Burgman or the Yamaha Majesty.

In reputation, Kymco is often said to be just slightly below the Japanese brands, but still in their class, above the Chinese scooters. Their prices reflect that position in the marketplace, which makes them appear to be a great value. They are handled locally by Trans-Am in Lititz.

Woman Hurt In Scooter Crash

See Lancaster Online article. Unfortunately, with the rocketing rise in scooter usage, a rise in these types of articles is likely. People: a bicycle helment is not designed for the speeds and the types of impacts you get in a scooter crash. Get yourself a DOT approved helmet.
Scooter riders traditionaly have not worn full face helmets. But I strongly suggest one. 35% of crashes impact the chin bar area. Where your teeth are. Don't become a believer after the fact...

Random Deal

I saw this Kymco Bet&Win 150 at Trans Am Cycles in Lititz (uphill from the Airport, just before Scooter's restaurant). The sign says: $2,729 (cost + 6% tax + $107.5 = $3,000.24).

If you're looking for even more thrills/dollar, behind this is a 2004 Ninja 250 for even less, that looks like a lot of fun. Silver with black and orange graphics.